Vincent Janssen has had a subtle dig at Tottenham after rediscovering his scoring touch at on-loan club Fenerbahce.
The Spurs striker agreed a season-long loan to the Turkish outfit earlier this month after slipping further down the striker pecking order at his parent club following the deadline-day arrival of Fernando Llorente.
Holland international Janssen has hit the ground running at Fenerbahce, scoring two goals and supplying two assists in his first three matches, and described his move as a “salvation” to his stalled career.
It is a far cry from his struggles at Tottenham, where he scored just six goals in his debut season, just two of which came in the Premier League, following his £18million transfer from AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2016.
Janssen has thanked the Turkish giants for giving him his chance to impress and delivered a thinly-veiled dig at Tottenham as he admitted that his lack of game time had been a major issue.
“My transfer to Fenerbahce has been a kind of salvation,” Janssen said, as quoted by Football.London. “If you get this opportunity, you’re grateful to the people [who gave it to you]. It’s nice to get minutes here and you’ll take that chance with both hands.
“I really enjoyed my first Istanbul derby. The atmosphere was fantastic with the passion of the supporters.
“I have never experienced anything like this before. A lot happened in the game… five red cards in particular.”
OPINION
Little wonder than Janssen is keen to thank Fenerbahce. His career at Tottenham was going nowhere after Mauricio Pochettino made up his mind that Harry Kane required an understudy who could be relied upon to find the back of the net and provide a blue-chip point to the attack. Few would argue that Llorente is an upgrade on Janssen, who has youth on his side but lacks the touch and clinical finishing of the Spaniard. Janssen’s temporary Turkey move is certainly a “salvation” for his own career, and it also works well for Tottenham. If the Dutchman can score 15-plus goals this season, it will restore his reputation and confidence, while also enhancing his market value should Spurs wish to sell him permanently next summer.